


A Question, Unasked

by glim



Category: Merlin (BBC) RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-11
Updated: 2010-08-11
Packaged: 2017-10-11 01:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/106734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glim/pseuds/glim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Slow dancing, in a manner of speaking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Question, Unasked

"You could, y'know, just _ask_."

Colin shrugged and nudged his leg closer to Bradley's. It wasn't that he didn't want to, he _did_, in the strange, exhilarating way he wanted to do most things with Bradley, but this was good. The way they were sitting so close to each other, legs and arms brushing every time one of them moved, the flicker of lights and music and heated bodies, the world sort of warm and dizzy spinning around them.

"I might. Later. If I feel like it," Colin replied, hand just touching Bradley's knee, and eased back in his seat.

*

The nighttime air chilled his eyes, nose, and ears, cold enough to have Colin shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat and walking as close to Bradley as he had been sitting next to him in the club. Not cold enough, however, to clear his head or senses from the throb and the buzz and the vibration.

Door locked, coat off, and the sudden warmth of Bradley's flat stinging his fingertips, Colin slipped his arms around Bradley's waist from behind and buried his face in Bradley's hair. He smelled like cold, winter air, and only moved into Colin's embrace after an indignant sound at the brush of Colin's nose against against the nape of his neck.

"Don't do that. You're _cold_."

"Then come warm me..."

Bradley twitched away from the kiss Colin tried to give to the back of his neck and when he didn't come nearer or turn around, Colin slid one hand beneath the hem of his shirt and stroked cold fingers over warm skin.

"You're doing that to torture me, aren't you?"

Colin pushed both his hands up under Bradley's shirt. "Sign of affection. You love it."

"Oh, yeah. I'm... _oh_." Bradley stopped as Colin tugged him close, turned him to face Colin, who kept his arms around Bradley, hands settled at his waist.

There, in the half-lit corridor, the world still an exhilarating, spinning thing around them, light and breath and a string of quiet, uncertain moments and half-smiles, Colin gave Bradley a look that must have been question enough, because Bradley finally leaned into him.

And he smiled, that beautiful brave smile that warmed Colin from someplace deep inside, and didn't do anything but tighten his arms around Colin when Colin rested his head against Bradley's shoulder. This, Colin thought, this is what he wanted tonight, this slow, subtle sort of dancing, bodies that already know how to move against each other and _fit_ against each other. Their lives fit together in a manner established by early mornings and endless days on set together, an intimacy that could've been unsettling if they'd allowed it to be, if they hadn't realized how easy and how difficult and how confusingly wonderful they could be together. The thrum of music was still in Colin's head and the thrum of his blood in his fingertips, in his lips, and in the palm of his hand against the small of Bradley's back, pulling him in closer.

He could've done this hours ago, could've let his body sway and his hips roll against Bradley's, could've skimmed his fingers over Bradley's jaw and watched him for a moment before they kissed, could've smiled as Bradley aimed for skeptical and accused him of odd, romantic gestures, but ended up yielding.

But Colin didn't, and there was some strange sweetness about the way they danced in the quiet, dark hallway, and the way their lips brushed, and the way Bradley almost melted into him.

He could've asked, that one small, simple question, but he didn't.

*

"Someday," Bradley announced, "we're going to go dancing. Actual dancing. None of your..."

The bedroom was dark, yet Colin could imagine the look on his face and the helpless wave of his hand. Colin pressed his lips to Bradley's chest and nuzzled until Bradley put his arms around Colin to hold him closer.

"My what?"

"... _signs of affection_."

"Whatever. You loved it." Bradley started to reply, but subsided into a sound of sleepy satisfaction as Colin continued to nuzzle his chest, his shoulder, and up to his lips. "All right. You take me dancing. We'll see how that goes."


End file.
